I am pretty vocal proponent of triathlon. Gee you think? (Still wondering if sarcasism translates to blogging). I make no bones about being a triahtlete and trying to bring people into the sport and helping them get tied into positive groups. I perfer they all join AZTRICLUB and shop at the TRIBE, but nevertheless anything I can do.
I as I have done many times, I buy a cup of coffee and drink it at Tribe while jawjacking with Kevin the owner and the two mechanics and if their busy with bike work I will work with customers on clothing and retail items.
I was sitting on a barstool at the counter one day, with my coffee, and talking with a woman browsing the clothes rack, lets call her Athena+++. She was very unassuming and just flipping through clothes, you would think she had never done a triathlon in her life. She acted just like any person without much enthusiasm for what she was doing. She was looking the women's tops and such and had asked me for some advice;
Me: "The Louis Garnaeu stuff comes in European sizes which run fairly small. The Ironman brand is a good choice and Zoot also has a looser cut."
A+++:"I usually wear men's bike jerseys since they run fairly large and then run in technical tops. I wanted to get a XXl finishers jersey after Ironman Arizona but the expo was sold out the day after....."
CRASH. BANG. A MAN SCREAMS LIKE A LITTLE GIRL.
A+++: "Oh my Lord, are you okay? How did that chair fall out from under you like that? Oh goodness you burned your arm and ruined your shirt when coffee spilled all over you..."
Me: (Quite shaken): You...you did Arizona. (More a statement than question)
A+++: "Yes. I took every minute I could on the course but I finished."
Me: "HEY KEV, ADD A SHIRT TO MY ACCOUNT I RUINED ANOTHER ONE...
Kevin: "GOT IT. STOP SPILLING COFFEE ON YOURSELF TOOL."
Me: "... Ma'am you and I need to talk, can I buy you a cup of coffee..."
What ensued was a great converstion with a delightful woman. The reason I go into detail on just this one exchange is that I am completely overwhelmed by the ambivalence of some people who have finished Ironman or trainnig for Ironman. Its just a 'ho hum' conversation to them.
You don't understand, I vibrate when I talk about triathlon and reach maximum orbit when it comes to Ironman. I think Simply Stu and I could fuel a rocket to Mars if you bottled our enthusiasm for the sport. So it blows me away when I get blaise responses to my rapid fire questions.
But it does make for some humorous interactions.
Friday, October 6, 2006
Thursday, October 5, 2006
What's in your trunk?
Your actual car trunk not the metaphysical trunk in your head. Before I go any farther I really want to thank those that I already haven't for your kind words for Mo an my resultant nutritional disconnect from reality.
I really only gave up on three meals; I mentioned the ice cream and doughnuts but for lunch, glorious lunch I went to a local brewery and had an Octoberfest beer (perhaps the second time in my life I have drank a beer during work hours), a BBQ bacon cheeseburger, garlic/cilantro steak fries, apple bread pudding with sauce and ice cream and for desert a Venti black coffee from Starbucks. It was a beautiful feast for the eyes and much humor for the peers that went with me.
That being said I didn't and don't remember tasting a thing and by the afternoon I was much more in control of myself. I went to bed early and woke up today with a hung over effect and shot legs.
What's in your trunk? I was putting my workout gear in the car today and had to push aside the extra running shoes, bike pump, helmet, bike shoes and a fuel belt to fit in the swim bucket and an ice chest for liquids. I realize I keep a spare tri uniform and running shorts in my car, a couple of old race shirts, an extra HRM strap, body glide, two pairs of socks and a workout towel plus an extra dri-fit hat. Its all extra's in case I actually forget to put something in the daily workout bag I pack in the house.
How about you?
I really only gave up on three meals; I mentioned the ice cream and doughnuts but for lunch, glorious lunch I went to a local brewery and had an Octoberfest beer (perhaps the second time in my life I have drank a beer during work hours), a BBQ bacon cheeseburger, garlic/cilantro steak fries, apple bread pudding with sauce and ice cream and for desert a Venti black coffee from Starbucks. It was a beautiful feast for the eyes and much humor for the peers that went with me.
That being said I didn't and don't remember tasting a thing and by the afternoon I was much more in control of myself. I went to bed early and woke up today with a hung over effect and shot legs.
What's in your trunk? I was putting my workout gear in the car today and had to push aside the extra running shoes, bike pump, helmet, bike shoes and a fuel belt to fit in the swim bucket and an ice chest for liquids. I realize I keep a spare tri uniform and running shorts in my car, a couple of old race shirts, an extra HRM strap, body glide, two pairs of socks and a workout towel plus an extra dri-fit hat. Its all extra's in case I actually forget to put something in the daily workout bag I pack in the house.
How about you?
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Stressed
I seem to have a healthly exterior but I am stressed out about this Mo thing, Ironman coming up, closeout business from last month, blah blah blah.
All the comments online and offline have been beautiful and I thank you. I must confess that this stress has affected my eating. Last night I went to pick up his new medicine and also bought a pint of Hagan Daz cookie dough ice cream, then mixed it with honey roasted party peanuts and peanut butter. Honestly I don't even remember if it tasted good.
This morning when I woke up at 0400 Mistress was not in bed. I figured Mighty Mo was crying in the night and she took him into the guest room or snuggled him in his bed. No. She was sitting at the computer shopping on e-bay. She told me she had been up since 0130 and stress had given her some acid reflux.
I didn't really want to ride this morning but I did 75 minutes of hills with John. It was good to talk to him about this stuff and other stressors. He is a good listener with sound advice. When we got done all I wanted was three doughnuts. I don't eat doughnuts very often but when I get that craving twice a year I indulge. I ate four Dunkin Doughnuts going into work. One was an apple fritter the size of a small pizza. Hey I didn't pick em', I just jammed my pie hole with em'.
I'm pretty positive that lunch will be a similiar gut bomb since today I pretty much have no desire or thought to control my urges.
Is this not what the Common Man does?
All the comments online and offline have been beautiful and I thank you. I must confess that this stress has affected my eating. Last night I went to pick up his new medicine and also bought a pint of Hagan Daz cookie dough ice cream, then mixed it with honey roasted party peanuts and peanut butter. Honestly I don't even remember if it tasted good.
This morning when I woke up at 0400 Mistress was not in bed. I figured Mighty Mo was crying in the night and she took him into the guest room or snuggled him in his bed. No. She was sitting at the computer shopping on e-bay. She told me she had been up since 0130 and stress had given her some acid reflux.
I didn't really want to ride this morning but I did 75 minutes of hills with John. It was good to talk to him about this stuff and other stressors. He is a good listener with sound advice. When we got done all I wanted was three doughnuts. I don't eat doughnuts very often but when I get that craving twice a year I indulge. I ate four Dunkin Doughnuts going into work. One was an apple fritter the size of a small pizza. Hey I didn't pick em', I just jammed my pie hole with em'.
I'm pretty positive that lunch will be a similiar gut bomb since today I pretty much have no desire or thought to control my urges.
Is this not what the Common Man does?
The Lyrical Poet
Well maybe not, but I can copy, cut and paste like a mutha F-er. BOY!!!!
(internal dialogue)"I pray to god sarcasism translates to the internet. PleasePleasePleasePlease."
Nancy and I bantered back and forth about something and she asked me to re-write the theme song to Smoky and the Bandit sung by Jerry Reed and apply it to Ironman Florida. Its a very familiar melody to those that have seen the movie. I hope that you get it.
After the jump...
(internal dialogue)"I pray to god sarcasism translates to the internet. PleasePleasePleasePlease."
Nancy and I bantered back and forth about something and she asked me to re-write the theme song to Smoky and the Bandit sung by Jerry Reed and apply it to Ironman Florida. Its a very familiar melody to those that have seen the movie. I hope that you get it.
After the jump...
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
Biopsy Results
Some unpleasant news to report from the Valley of The Sun.
Mighty Mo, the three year old boy wonder and uber-cute kid has the results of last weeks biopsy. Colitis. Mistress is distraught to say the least. She watched a special friends spiral into the abyss with his colitis, which eventually led to a permanent colostomy bag. But that was not the worst of it. It was the depression and I guess the failure to overcome the enormity of the condition that took a bright happy young man and turned him into a crushed shell who pushed everyone away, got himself fired from his job then committed mental and emotional suicide on his future. No he did not commit physical suicide, though the wall's of anger he projected were the subjective equivalent.
I suppose I am still in research mode and not exactly feeling as dismayed as she, though rightly concerned. The doctor assures us that this is not yet an advanced condition like uleractive colitis or Crohns and the medicine should give us a good diagnosis on future tracks of combativeness. He needs to go through about four months of 3 times a day medicine before the first check up.
The biopsy also fit several pieces of many puzzling facts together about his lifelong battle with rapid immune system failure. Colitis is a sub-category of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), not to be confused with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The doctors were able to link the biopsy findings with many of his other conditions since birth with a symptom of IBD called over-reactive immune system.
This means that when a normal viral or bacterial infection runs its course through the body, the immune systems hyper reacts and attacks not only the infection but once the infection is defeated continues to attack tissues of the digestive tract. This explains the rapid deteoration from common cold to pneumonia and dehydration in 24 hours. Its explains the constipation, rectal bleeding, vomiting during bowel movements and a whole host of other things that in the past have all be considered seperate from the low immune system.
Mistress is putting up a brave front but I know this woman too well. And though she has not yet said it, she feels responsible for this since colitis is a genetic condition from her side of the family. It's not fair for her to put this kind of pressure on herself and the best I can do is comfort her any way I can over the next few days. I already scheduled a massage for her tomorrow after work. I will work through this by educating myself on the disease and looking for alternate avenues other than just medicine, such as diet changes and probiotics.
Unbelievably this has taken me two hours to write. I have been researching and reaching out to others for advice and now suddenly need to just break this off and get on with the day. My run has been cancelled for today and considering blowing off my alternate workout on the trainer tonight so that I can be attentive to Mistress.
I would appreciate your comments. As I have done with past updates on Mo's conditions, I will print them out and give them to Mistress so she can see the expressions of love, concern and prayer are going on out there in the world. If any of you have experience with colitis in your family I would appreciate some feedback.
Thanks.
Mighty Mo, the three year old boy wonder and uber-cute kid has the results of last weeks biopsy. Colitis. Mistress is distraught to say the least. She watched a special friends spiral into the abyss with his colitis, which eventually led to a permanent colostomy bag. But that was not the worst of it. It was the depression and I guess the failure to overcome the enormity of the condition that took a bright happy young man and turned him into a crushed shell who pushed everyone away, got himself fired from his job then committed mental and emotional suicide on his future. No he did not commit physical suicide, though the wall's of anger he projected were the subjective equivalent.
I suppose I am still in research mode and not exactly feeling as dismayed as she, though rightly concerned. The doctor assures us that this is not yet an advanced condition like uleractive colitis or Crohns and the medicine should give us a good diagnosis on future tracks of combativeness. He needs to go through about four months of 3 times a day medicine before the first check up.
The biopsy also fit several pieces of many puzzling facts together about his lifelong battle with rapid immune system failure. Colitis is a sub-category of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), not to be confused with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The doctors were able to link the biopsy findings with many of his other conditions since birth with a symptom of IBD called over-reactive immune system.
This means that when a normal viral or bacterial infection runs its course through the body, the immune systems hyper reacts and attacks not only the infection but once the infection is defeated continues to attack tissues of the digestive tract. This explains the rapid deteoration from common cold to pneumonia and dehydration in 24 hours. Its explains the constipation, rectal bleeding, vomiting during bowel movements and a whole host of other things that in the past have all be considered seperate from the low immune system.
Mistress is putting up a brave front but I know this woman too well. And though she has not yet said it, she feels responsible for this since colitis is a genetic condition from her side of the family. It's not fair for her to put this kind of pressure on herself and the best I can do is comfort her any way I can over the next few days. I already scheduled a massage for her tomorrow after work. I will work through this by educating myself on the disease and looking for alternate avenues other than just medicine, such as diet changes and probiotics.
Unbelievably this has taken me two hours to write. I have been researching and reaching out to others for advice and now suddenly need to just break this off and get on with the day. My run has been cancelled for today and considering blowing off my alternate workout on the trainer tonight so that I can be attentive to Mistress.
I would appreciate your comments. As I have done with past updates on Mo's conditions, I will print them out and give them to Mistress so she can see the expressions of love, concern and prayer are going on out there in the world. If any of you have experience with colitis in your family I would appreciate some feedback.
Thanks.
Monday, October 2, 2006
Living for the burp and the guzzle
I feel my life going from long distance to taper. While talking about my training volume to people they are mostly amazed, especially non-triathletes. People who have toed the line at an ironman give you the knowing smile that reminds you they were at one point right I stand.
Instead of reveling in my distances I am instead humbled by the small things that occur to me during the training. For instance, I am now a lover of the burp. After spending hours on the bike or hours in a run I find that I really crave the satisfaction of drinking a carbonated drink quickly and savoring the belch that will reset my stomach. I have spoke with many ironmen/women who say the same thing, "Thank god for coke on the course!"
The other thing that is very powerful for me, especially after an iron distance ride, is the the ability, NAY THE CHOICE, to guzzle water. After almost seven hours of nipping thousands of liquid calories from the one 28 ounce bottle and sipping a gallon of water out of my aero bottle, it felt so good to finally crack open a full bottle of water and guzzle as much of that cold goodness as I could with no worry of repercusion.
I have often thought lately about how I will feel once my first ironman is completed, either finish or DNF, hopefully finish of course. I have focused on doing this race for so long, thought about the finish line for so long. But I think that something Benny has told me since April is making some sense.
Esenssially what he is telling me is, "Savor your moments before your first ironman, you only get them one time."
Will my ironman finish be as important to me as the training that lead me up to it? I think about the other amazing things I have accomplished in my life and with hindsight what I took from that episode. But instead the first thing I thought of was family.
You reap what you sow. So I think of Mistress and Mo baking a pie. The reaping is the accomplishment and that is the sweetest peice of pie to eat. But Mo helped Mistress with all the mixing and pouring and rolling and they laughed and they clapped and they cheered. To Mistress doing something with her 3 year old was more important than whether the pie turned out good or not.
I think of all the sunrises I have seen from over my aero bars. I remember all the smells from the side of trails I have run. I consider all the lives I have I touched online and within my own community in town. I can not forget the small victory's that lead to hopefully, eventually an ironman finish.
Not sure how I went from burping and guzzling to putting the memories in my heart above finishing Ironman but maybe I am.
Whats that saying, "Its not the destination, its the journey" Maybe thats right...
Instead of reveling in my distances I am instead humbled by the small things that occur to me during the training. For instance, I am now a lover of the burp. After spending hours on the bike or hours in a run I find that I really crave the satisfaction of drinking a carbonated drink quickly and savoring the belch that will reset my stomach. I have spoke with many ironmen/women who say the same thing, "Thank god for coke on the course!"
The other thing that is very powerful for me, especially after an iron distance ride, is the the ability, NAY THE CHOICE, to guzzle water. After almost seven hours of nipping thousands of liquid calories from the one 28 ounce bottle and sipping a gallon of water out of my aero bottle, it felt so good to finally crack open a full bottle of water and guzzle as much of that cold goodness as I could with no worry of repercusion.
I have often thought lately about how I will feel once my first ironman is completed, either finish or DNF, hopefully finish of course. I have focused on doing this race for so long, thought about the finish line for so long. But I think that something Benny has told me since April is making some sense.
Esenssially what he is telling me is, "Savor your moments before your first ironman, you only get them one time."
Will my ironman finish be as important to me as the training that lead me up to it? I think about the other amazing things I have accomplished in my life and with hindsight what I took from that episode. But instead the first thing I thought of was family.
You reap what you sow. So I think of Mistress and Mo baking a pie. The reaping is the accomplishment and that is the sweetest peice of pie to eat. But Mo helped Mistress with all the mixing and pouring and rolling and they laughed and they clapped and they cheered. To Mistress doing something with her 3 year old was more important than whether the pie turned out good or not.
I think of all the sunrises I have seen from over my aero bars. I remember all the smells from the side of trails I have run. I consider all the lives I have I touched online and within my own community in town. I can not forget the small victory's that lead to hopefully, eventually an ironman finish.
Not sure how I went from burping and guzzling to putting the memories in my heart above finishing Ironman but maybe I am.
Whats that saying, "Its not the destination, its the journey" Maybe thats right...
Two down, one to go
Sunday was my 112 mile ride. Mission Accomplished. Felt really good up to about 108 miles and then my legs started to get heavy. I kept my cadence in the high 80's but the ole speedo wouldn't climb above 16 mph at that point. What helped me through these literally last few miles was thinking of all the times I had bonked at only 30 miles or dragged my ass in at 50 miles.
For the ride I averaged 17.9 miles per hour and a cadence of 92 rpms. It took me a total of 6hr 45minutes including pit stops and an waiting for other riders.
At 80 miles we pulled into the gas station on the loop so we could all link up again and I ran inside for a Coca Cola. A real honest to God, red canned, sugared up Coke that I have not drank in ten years. I realized that I needed to burp really bad and Coke is provided on the Florida course. It was a good test of race day reality and it felt so good with no stomach issues. Burps ensued.
My large size bike bottle carried all my nutrition for the ride; 2,100 calories, 75% of which was CarboPro and the rest Cytomax and powdered endurolytes. I nipped off the bottle every five miles for approximately 300 calories per hour which has been my personal strategy all year. The only 'mistake' if you will, was that I had to switch to every ten miles at mile 80 since I was running low. The calories from the Coke help off set some of that which is a good battle strategy to remember.
What helped pass the time was the support from the AZTRICLUB. Taizzir and Glen helped start me off at 0500 by joining me for the first 56 miles. Taizzir then went and ran ten miles at a 7'30" pace. A few other members came out to ride their own personal distances, some with me and some on their own. Heather who is also doing Florida this year rode 98 miles after spending much of the last three weeks in Europe on vacation. Some of this we were able to do together but we have different paces so it was hit or miss.
The Machine came out and paced me the last 43 miles. It was a good workout for him since he was able to sleep in and putz around before getting in a good ride and I was paced by an ironman and capable cyclist during a potentially rough patch of mileage.
We finished the ride with a picnic of Red Stripe beer and chicken / lettuce wraps. The Machines wife Wendy came out and Heather finished her ride with perfect timing. Then I went home and took a ice bath followed by jaccuzi.
So I got in my iron swim and my iron bike segment this weekend. All that is left now is a long run next weekend and then its taper time. After that its all up to God and Uncle Murphy.
For the ride I averaged 17.9 miles per hour and a cadence of 92 rpms. It took me a total of 6hr 45minutes including pit stops and an waiting for other riders.
At 80 miles we pulled into the gas station on the loop so we could all link up again and I ran inside for a Coca Cola. A real honest to God, red canned, sugared up Coke that I have not drank in ten years. I realized that I needed to burp really bad and Coke is provided on the Florida course. It was a good test of race day reality and it felt so good with no stomach issues. Burps ensued.
My large size bike bottle carried all my nutrition for the ride; 2,100 calories, 75% of which was CarboPro and the rest Cytomax and powdered endurolytes. I nipped off the bottle every five miles for approximately 300 calories per hour which has been my personal strategy all year. The only 'mistake' if you will, was that I had to switch to every ten miles at mile 80 since I was running low. The calories from the Coke help off set some of that which is a good battle strategy to remember.
What helped pass the time was the support from the AZTRICLUB. Taizzir and Glen helped start me off at 0500 by joining me for the first 56 miles. Taizzir then went and ran ten miles at a 7'30" pace. A few other members came out to ride their own personal distances, some with me and some on their own. Heather who is also doing Florida this year rode 98 miles after spending much of the last three weeks in Europe on vacation. Some of this we were able to do together but we have different paces so it was hit or miss.
The Machine came out and paced me the last 43 miles. It was a good workout for him since he was able to sleep in and putz around before getting in a good ride and I was paced by an ironman and capable cyclist during a potentially rough patch of mileage.
We finished the ride with a picnic of Red Stripe beer and chicken / lettuce wraps. The Machines wife Wendy came out and Heather finished her ride with perfect timing. Then I went home and took a ice bath followed by jaccuzi.
So I got in my iron swim and my iron bike segment this weekend. All that is left now is a long run next weekend and then its taper time. After that its all up to God and Uncle Murphy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
